Apparatus for performing work on metal



Y 9 11943 R. TEMPLE, JR

APPARATUS FOR PERFORM ING WORK ON METAL Original Filed Nov. 22, 1938 INVENTOR. 1 Jaw M, & p-m, QZo/fw ATTORNEYd.

mum/5.55m.

tented July 6, 1943 APPARATUS lFUlllt PERFUME/ENG WURK @N 'liAL Robert 'llemple, .lr., Pittsburgh, lPa, asslgnor, by

mesne assignments, to 'llernple Velocity Equipmerit, line, a corporation oi Delaware 9 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for performing work, particularly on metal, and the lilre, and this application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 241,815, filed November 22, 1938, issued July 29, 1941, Patent No. 2,251,176.

A primary object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type referred to which is of simple construction; easily operated, relatively light and inexpensive, compact, portable, and sturdy.

A further object is to provide apparatus for performing work on metal with simple means for quickly, easily, emciently and releasably positioning the work relative to the working members.

Yet another object is to provide new and useful apparatus for explosively compressing. even to flattening, a sleeve, such as a length of tubing,

around the end of a contained member, such as an electric'conductor, and, if desired of simultane'ously-Z-punching a hole through the compressed 'orflattened portion.

A special object is to provide improved apparatus for-forming a terminal on the ends of an electric wire, cable or other conductor, and, more broadly, a connector or tip for substantially any strand element.

Other objects Will appear from the'following description of the invention.

The foregoing and other objects of'my invention are achieved by the provision of a terminal, and methods and apparatus for making it, all as particularly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a plan view of a terminal embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the terminal illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal crosssectlonal view on an enlarged scale of the terminal of Fig. l and taken on line IIIHI thereof; Fig. i is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view on the same scale as Fig. 3 of the terminal, this view being taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation, partly. in section, of my improved apparatus for forming the terminal of Figs. 1 to i; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one ofthe dies shown in Fig. 5 an the holding means associated therewith, all as taken substantially on line VI-VI of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. '5, but includes a slightly modified construction-of the upper die; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional View of a terminal formed from a bimetallic tube.

In particularly describing the invention refproduction of the improved terminals or connectors disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid copending application, but it should be understood that for such purposes I contemplate forming a terminal on an electric conductor of substantially any type, as, for example, a solid wire, a wire cable, a bus-bar, or the like. Thus, in the specification and claims when reference is made to a wire or electric conductor, it is intended to cover any electric conductor, as, for example, of the several types specifically identified Just above.

Also, it might be well to note here that I contemplate forming a terminal on wires of any of a variety of compositions which will include brass, copper, aluminum, steel, or alloys thereof, and the terminal itself can be of any of these metals.

The terminals when formed on the end of a wire can be useful not only to connect a wire into an electric circuit, but I have found also that the terminals can be used to connect wires to each other, or can be used as connectors to connect the end of a wire or cable to a given ob- .ject, or to each other, and wherein the wire is not employed in an electric circuit but is used to make a mechanical or load-carrying connection. Accordingly, the words terminal, connector, and wire are intended to be broad enough when read in either the specification or claims to cover' a purely mechanical or loadbearing connection instead of, or interchangeably with, an electric circuit connection.

Having particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the numeral Hi indicates as a whole an electric conductor, Wire, or other strand element which has been illustrated as being formed of a plurality of strands, and including, if desired, a covering it of insulation. The bared end of the wire it is received in a short length, or sleeve, of metal tubing Ml which has an internal bore of such a diameter as to closely receive and surround the end of the wire. 'The tubing I l is preferably formed with a belled or erence may be made, by way of example, to the o5 expanded end it of a relatively short axial length which is adapted to receive and surround the insulation E2 on the wire ill. The belled end it of the tubing i l efiects a seal around the end of the insulation and prevents the entrance of moisture between the end of the insulation and the wire.

As particularly shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the wire extend substantially to the outermost end of the tubing i l and are in fact illustrated flush therewith. The outermost half, or a somewhat greater or less length of the tubing It, is

flattened as at I6 and I! by the apparatus provided by the invention as hereinafter described. The flattening of the tubing serves also to flatten the end of the wire III, as particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. so that the tubing and wire is compressed together in an integral or intimate manner, which provides an excellent and substantially perfect electrical contact between the tubing I4 and the wire l0.

As will be evident from Figs. 2 and 3, the fiattening of the end of the tubing I4 is preferably such that the bottom or lowermost part I! of the flattened end portion is substantially in alignment with the bottom of the unflattened end of the tubing, whereas the top Iii of the flattened end is considerably offset from the unflattened top of the tubing. As hereinafter described, my improved apparatus effects this type of flattening of the tubing and wire. which is desirable for the reason that the terminal can be brought into engagement with a flat surface without tilting and so that a firm, flat, electrical contact is assured.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the sides I9 of the fiattened end of the terminal are formed at other than a true perpendicular and preferabl are inclined slightly outwardly. This shape permits the removal of the terminal end from the forming dies as hereinafter described. The flattened end of the tubing or terminal as just described is formed with an aperture. usually round, therethrough which has been identified by the numeral I8. This aperture serves to permit the flattened end of the terminal to be connected into an electrical circuit by a bolt or screw, as will be understood.

Having particular reference to Figs. 5. 6 and '7. a typical apparatus provided by this invention comprises a frame indicated as a whole b the numeral 22. which frame includes a barrel portion 24 and an anvil 26. the latter being held in spaced relation. but in alignment. with the muzzle end of the barrel. Slidably received in barr l 24 is a piston 28 which is formed at its end w th a male die-member 30. The die member 30 may be screwed or otherwise secured to the end of the piston 28 so as to permit changes in size of the die member. or it can be formed integrally with the p ston in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

Cooperating with the die member 30 is a female die 32 which is supported on the anvil 28. Like the die member 30 the die 32 can be made integral with the anvil 26 or can be received in a suitable recess in the anvil. as shown, so that dies of different sizes can be interchanged on the anvil. The die 32 is provided with a channel 38 adapted to receive the end of the work, such as tubing I4 shown in dotted lines, which tubing has the wire end extending therein. I preferably position the tubing I4 and the wire II) with relation to the die 32 and in th channel 38, and preferably accomplish this by forming the die 32 with a closed end 34 against which the end of the tubing I 4 and the end of the wire Iii can abut. although this isnot requisite to successful operation. Suitable means, such as a pair of spring fingers 36. secured to the anvil 26, are generally incorporated with the apparatus for centering the tubing i4 laterally of the die 32. It will be recognized that the tubing can be sprung down between the fingers 36 and will be positioned thereby centrally of the channel 38 during the flattenin of the tubing end, and that the flattened tubing can be quickly released from between the spring fingers after the terminalforming operation.

The channel or channel-shaped opening 38 provided in the die 32, which channel receives the end of the tubing. is formed with side walls which are inclined slightly outwardly so that the flattened end of the terminal can readily be removed from the die. It will be understood that the lateral distance between the sides of the channel determines the width of the flattened terminal end. The die member 38, as heretofore stated, is complementary to the channel 38 in the die opening 32, and the end of the die member in the downward stroke of the piston 28 engages with the end of the tubing i4 and flattens it, and the wire therein, down against the bottom of the channel opening in the die 32 to form the flattened end on the tubing to thereby produce a terminal.

In order to punch the hole' I8 through the flattened end of the terminal, I may form the die member 30 with an integral punch 40, as shown in Fig. 7, and provide the die 32 and the anvil 26 with aligned apertures 42 which receive the slug punched out of the flattened end. Preferably. I provide the piston 28 with a reciprocable weight 44 which is slidably carried in a longitudinal bore 45 in the piston and secure a punch rod 46 to the weight 44. The end of the punch rod 46 in the normal uppermost position of the weight 44 is such that the end of the punch rod 46 is flush with the bottom of the die member 30, as shown. The weight 44 is normally held at the uppermost end of the bore 45 by a light weight compressionspring 48.

The construction and arrangement of the weight 44 and punch rod 46 and associated spring 48 is such that when the piston 28 is driven downwardly to bring the die member 30 into engagement with the die 32, the end of the punch rod 46 flush with the end of the die member 30 acts to first compress and flatten the end of the tubing received between the dies. When the flattening movement of the dies together is stopped by the complete compression of the flattening portion, then the momentum of the weight 44 is such that it drives forward to force the punch rod'46 through the flattened end of the terminal to thereby punch a slug out of the aperture 42 in the die 32 and the anvil 26. This punching action commences only near the end of the fiattening operation on the tube and, because of this, has been found to provide a somewhat cleaner-cut flattening and punching of the terminal end.

The operation of the punching mechanism as just described is dependent upon building up a comparatively high momentum in the piston 28 during the flattening stroke of the dies together. and, as hereinafter described. is largely dependent upon driving the piston 28 by the detonation of an explosive charge. I contemplate shortening the length of the punch rod 46 so that the lowermost end of the punch rod is some distance from the bottom end of the die 30. This construction increases the momentum and punching action of the weight 44 and punch rod 46 in the downward stroke of the piston 28 so that the punching action follows the complete flattening of the end of the tubing by the die member 38.

In order to drive the piston 28 with high velocity the end of the barrel 24 of the apparatus remote from the anvil 26 is formed with a breech and a removable breech-lock and firing-pin of the type, for example, shown in my Patent No.

assures, so that this portion of the apparatus,

indicated as a whole by the numeral 80, will not be described in detail. Builice it to say that the breech-block is removable so that the breech end of the barrel can receive a blank cartridge which can be detonated through a firing-pin associated with the breech-block when the breech-block is replaced over the end of the barrel.

ln'the operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. to 7 to produce the terminal described, the bared end oi a wire I I is inserted into a short length 01' tubing fund the end of the tubing and wire is abutted against the and 34 of the die 32 with the tubing and wire end being received in the channel 38 of the die. The tubing and wire end is held in properly-centered relation in the channel by the spring fingers 86. The piston 28 is then pushed back up to the breech end of the barrel M, the breech-block on the end of the barrel is removed and a blank cartridge or other suitable explosive means is inserted in the breech, and the breech-block is then replaced. Now the firing-pin is operated to detonate the explosive charge which drives the piston down through the barrel it of the apparatus with great speed and power and causes the die member dd to engage with the side of the outermost end of the tubing to flatten the tubing and wire therein against the bottom of the channel iii in the die 32. Striking the high velocity blow such as just described causes the flattening to occur substantially all on the upper side of the terminal, as will be evident from the terminal shown in Figs. 1 to 4. I contemplate increasing the length of the die tit so that the lower side of the tubing id is supported over substantially its full leng-th,.which prevents any ofisetting in this side or bottom of the tubing.

If the die member till is formed with the integral punch iii as shown in Fig. '7, an aperture or hole is punched through the flattened end of the tub ing and through the wire in the flattened end, and this punching operation is done substantially simultaneously with the flattening oi the tubing. @n the other hand, in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, once the end of the tubing has been flattened and the downward movement of the piston 2d substantially arrested, the weight M continues to move forward under its own momentum to thereby drive the punch rod dii through the flattened terminal end to provide a round hole therethrough. After the flattening and punching operation has been achieved as just described, the piston. is pushed back up into the barrel 2d and the terminal and wire are readily removed from between the spring fingers and the die 32 and a new tubing with'a wire therein is inserted into the channel 8d of the die and the operation is repeated. The apparatus may be used also to maize the form of terminal shown in Fig. 8. The tubing employed is a bimetallic tubing adapted to be used to connect two difierent metals. Specifically, the numeral lid indicates an aluminum wire to which the compound tube tiliiid is secured. The inner tubing ii? is aluminum whereas the outer tubing (lid is copper, although it should be expressly understood that other metals can be used to maize any particular conditions. For instance, in the example given an aluminum wire is adapted to be connected to a copper bus-bar by the bimetallic terminal, having the inner tubing of aluminum engaging with the aluminum wire and the outer tubing of copper engaging with the copper bus-bar. The very high pressure used to press the terminal causes such intimate contact till ' an outer tubing of between the diflerent metal parts of the bimetallic tube that there is little or no electrolysis or corrosion between these parts. So far as I am aware, electrical connections between dlflerent metals, such as copper and aluminum, have always resulted in very undesirable electrolysis and corrosion. By selecting a bimetallic tube having an inner tubing of the same metal as the wire and the same metal as the other member to be connected, I am able to substantially eliminate corrosion as stated above.

The terminal of Fig. 8 has been illustrated as having an equal oifset on both its top and bottom. This is effected by shortening the die 32 so that the bimetallic tube 82- 64 is supported by the die only along the bottom of that portion of the tube which is flattened as distinguished from the long die support shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 which results in the offset all being on the top side of the terminal. i

ll may make thedies 3t and-3i semi-circular in shape and merely compress the bimetallic tube ti-tt around the end of the wire be so as to provide a terminal having a round end which can be soldered into a. cup or socket formed of the same material as the outside tubing ht.

My improved apparatus operating from the power of a blank cartridge can be made relatively light and inexpensive and yet the apparatus will function over lone periods of time substantially without maintenance or repair, and by substitutthe die sizes and shapes as described I can readily adapt my apparatus to compress terminals of a plurality of sizes or otherwise to perform worlr on metal. The operation of my improved press is readily mastered by the ordinary unslrilled workman and operates relatively rapidly and without noise to achieve the pressing and flattening of the tubing end to form a terminal or connector. Moreover, since the terminal itself is formed from an ordinary piece of tubing, the expense thereof is kept at a minimum, and supply and stocking oi various sizes is a simple matter.

The terminals described and shown herein and the method of making them are claimed in my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 241,- 815.

While in accordance with the patent statutes 1 have illustrated and described specifically one particular embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that my invention is not limited thereto or thereby but is defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for forming a terminal on the bare end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other, said dies being formed with complementary male and female portions adapted to receive a short length of tubing with the end of the wire therein and to form a flattened terminal end on the tubins, and wire, means associated with one of the dies for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end, and means for driving the dies together by the detonation of an explosive charge.

2. Apparatus for forming a terminal or connector on the end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other,

associated with one of the dies for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end. and means for moving the dies together to flatten the tubing and wire and punch a hole through the flattened end.

3. Apparatus for forming a terminal or connector on the end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other, said dies being formed with complementary portions adapted to receive a length of tubing with the end of the wire therein and to form a flattened terminal end on the tubing and wire, means associated with one of the dies for punching a. hole through the flattened terminal end, means for moving the dies together to flatten the tubing and wire and punch a hole through the flattened end, and means releasably centering the tubing between the dies.

4. Apparatus for forming a terminal on the bare end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other, said dies being formed with complementary portions adapted to receive a short length of tubing with the end of the wire therein and to form a flattened terminal end on the tubing and wire, means associated with one of the dies for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end,

' means for driving the dies together by the detonation of an explosive charge, and means releasably centering the tubing between the dies.

5. Apparatus for forming a terminal or conhector on the end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other, said dies being formed with complementary portions adapted to receive a length of tubing with the end of the wire therein and to form aflattened terminal end on the tubing and wire, means for moving the dies together to efiect the flattening operation, and means associated with one of the dies for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end.

6. Apparatus for forming a terminal or connector on the end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame for relative movement toward and from each other, said dies being formed with complementary portions adapted to receive a length of tubing with the end of the wire therein and to form a flattened terminal end on the tubing and wire, means for moving the dies together to effect the flattening operation, and means associated with one of the dies for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end, said last-named means being slidably carried by one of the dies and acting to eflect the punching operation after the flattening operation has been substantially completed.

7. Apparatus for forming a terminal or connector on the end of a wire which comprises a frame, a pair of dies mounted in the frame, one of the dies being movable toward and from, the other, said dies being formed with portions adapted to receive a length of tubing with the end of the Wire therein and to form a flattened terminal end on the tubing, means for driving the movable die toward the other by the detonation of an explosive charge, a momentum punch associated with the movable die for punching a hole through the flattened terminal end, said punch including a weight slidably associated with the die, means releasably holding the weight substantially at the end of its movement remote from the stationary die, and a punch rod connected to the weight and adapted to be driven forward thereby to punch a hole through the flattened terminal end when the forward movement of the movable die is stopped during the flattening operation.

8. Apparatus for performing work on metal comprising a frame, a stationary die carried by said frame, a cooperating movable die mounted in said frame, explosively actuated means for driving said movable die, a momentum punch associated with the movable die for punching a hole in the work, and means for releasably holding said punch substantially at the end of its movement remote from the stationary die until the movable die has substantially completed its working stroke.

9. Apparatus for performing work on metal comprising a frame, a work-receiving die carried by said frame, a cooperating work performing die mounted in said frame, explosively actuated means for driving said work performing die, a momentum punch associated with said work performing die to perform additional work on said metal under the impetus of said die caused by said explosive means, and means for releasably holding said punch substantially at the end of its movement remote from the work receiving die until the work performing die has substantially completed its working stroke.

ROBERT TEMPLE, JR. 

